Woodinville nourished big dreams as they entered the Kingco 4A playoffs. They opened last week with wins over Inglemoor and Bothell, and spirits were high. But a tough loss last Saturday to Issaquah brought the 2017 season to a close.

The Woodinville Weekly was at last Tuesday’s Inglemoor game. After a lackluster first half, the Lady Falcons came to life with a 2-1 triumph.

Woodinville's Regan Schenck (left) zips downfield like a comet. (Photo by Dale Garvey)“I thought both teams played really hard,” Woodinville’s Chloe Lingen said. “In the first half they were getting to the ball faster than we were. But during the second half, we wanted it more and we put in the hustle to get those two goals. And that really put us on top and the motivation to keep on going.”

“We calmed down a lot after the first half,” Woodinville’s Grace Zamzow said. “We got into their play of boot ball, kicking it back-and-forth. Then we calmed down and played more of our type of game.”

“We had a talk at halftime,” Woodinville coach Andrew Croft said. “We said to believe in each other. We’ve been through so much this year. This wasn’t the first deficit they had come back from this year... Every victory bolsters confidence. When you win more, you believe more. Every time you win you realize how much sweeter it is.”

After the match, the team headed off the field. Zamzow paused to reflect. “I know our team can go far this year,” she said. “If we had lost tonight our whole team would have felt like we could have done more. We all know we can go far.”

Woodinville's freshman goalie Holland Pilukas (crouching) had a fabulous performance against Inglemoor. (Photo by Dale Garvey)Two nights later, on November 2nd, Woodinville squared off against their old rival Bothell. The two teams had tied in their first meeting this year, before the Falcons took the second game 2-1. But in this playoff match, Woodinville erupted for five goals en route to a 5-0 triumph.

This put them on a collision course with league-leading Issaquah. A chance to earn another berth to State was on the line.

There was some interesting history here. Two seasons ago, Woodinville battled Issaquah in a windstorm playoff battle royale. The Falcons lost, and were denied a chance at State. Many tears were shed as the girls walked off the field.

Last season, the Falcons upset powerhouse Issaquah to earn that coveted berth to State. The Falcons ultimately reached the quarterfinals before losing to Camas.

So the Falcon-Eagle rivalry was rekindled last Saturday night on a cold soccer field in Issaquah. But this time, the Lady Falcons were up against too much firepower. Woodinville lost 5-0, and they saw their season come to an end.

The Falcons finished in third place in Kingco 4A with a 10-7-2 record.

“It was a rough one, “Croft said. “But our girls played really hard. Issaquah is a good team.”